


Prepare for therapy!

by Needs_to_stop_looking_at_valves



Category: Transformers: Prime
Genre: Drinking & Talking, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Flirting, M/M, Reminiscing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-24
Updated: 2020-06-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:22:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24887533
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Needs_to_stop_looking_at_valves/pseuds/Needs_to_stop_looking_at_valves
Summary: Bumblebee meets Knockout for a party, not having seen him for quite some time. Little did he know, Knockout needed his friend now more than ever.
Relationships: Bumblebee & Knock Out
Kudos: 16





	Prepare for therapy!

**Author's Note:**

> this is for @bumblebuttdabee on tumblr. Hope you enjoy!

Bumblebee lightly hummed along to the radio as he zoomed down the highway. One of the great things about a restored Cybertron, was how good the signal was, allowing him to tune into earth signals. He was grateful for it, for as much as he loved Cybertron, it wasn’t worth NOT listening to Rear Axle. He passed by another vehicle on the road, and pulled up to the right, diving into the parking lot. He transformed, and looked around, holding his care package in his mitts. He always loved coming here, as it was always properly well kept. He waved at one of the gardeners as he walked up to the main lobby. Mech’s around here were paid well to keep its tennents happy, and making those who didn’t live there, completely envious. He entered the building, and walked up to the desk. The mech behind the counter didn’t seem to notice him, watching some show on his data pad. Bumblebee waited a moment, hesitating on whether or not he should be rude and interrupt him. He decided it was better than just standing there and letting his optics wander all over the place like some weirdo.

“Uh, excuse me?”

He knocked his knuckles against the counter, knocking the other out of his trance. He rolled his optics, and switched in channel, pulling up the sign in records. He seemed annoyed, but settled for a sigh.

“Who are you seeing, and name, please.”

“I’m seeing Knockout, and I’m Bumblebee.”

The mech looked through the approved names set by Knockout, and found just that name. He sighed, and pressed the button to let him through the front gate, before switching his show back on. Bumblebee gave a shrug.

“Thanks, mech.”

He walked right past him, through the gate. He stood in front of one of the buildings, and shifted his gaze between them all. While the buildings were nice and fancy, they were all the same, making them almost impossible to tell apart. He scowled, before calling Knockout via comm link.

“Knockout? I’m past your gate, can you remind me what building number you’re in?”

“Eight nine two, building one."

“Gotcha, I’ll be up in a klik.”

He entered one of the buildings, and went into the elevator, typing in the number to the highest floor. He looked past the glass as he got higher and higher, watching as the buildings and mechs below got smaller. His thoughts drifted for a moment, recalling just when was the last time he had seen his medic comrade. Too long. Him being a lieutenant, and Knockout being a medic, gave them hardly any leisure time. Hell, he had to fight to get this day off, and the higher ups weren’t very happy with him not being available. The ‘ding’ of the elevator took him out of his inner thoughts, and as soon as the door opened, he stepped out. He walked down one of the halls, and finally stopped at the door number. He rang the doorbell, and waited a moment. Knockout answered the door, and smiled upon seeing the old muscle car.

“Bumblebee, so happy you could make it. Feels as though both of us have our servos full nowadays.”

“Ugh, tell me about it. I got rookies that are shadowing me, and honestly? It's been a bit exhausting. I practically leapt at the opportunity to relax with my old team, even the late addition.”

Knockout chuckled, standing to the side, and gesturing to his home.

“Well, if you’re so excited, come on in, Bumblebug.”

Bumblebee wasn’t sure what to make of Knockout sometimes. He wasn’t sure if his words were teasing, or if the smirk on his face held malicious intent. It was hard NOT to catch his occasional gaze. There was some malfunction in the allspark when he was made, clearly. He stepped on, despite feeling like some show car on display, and Knockout closed the door behind them. Bumblebee looked around, and gave a light whistle.

“I remember being here when this place was bare bones. You really did a number on the decor."

“Didn’t I? I was going to have a professional designer handle it, but then I thought, whose taste was better than my own?”

Bumblebee didn’t want to give Knockout a big helm over it, but he had to admit, he did quite the good job; plush, red sofas with black throw pillows, a well crafted coffee table, a chandelure that couldn't have been cheap, and a china cabinet full of all types of sparkly things, including-

“Is that..what I think it is?”

Knockout chuckled as he brought a plate of snacks to the coffee table. He walked up behind him, hip cocked in a boastful manner.

“The apex armor?”

“That it is! Shined to my very specific qualifications.”

“How did you get that?”

“Oh wouldn’t you like to know?”

Knockout chuckled, swiping the care package from Bumblebee’s mitts. Bumblebee threw his hands to the side as Knockout inspected the bottle.

“I WOULD like to know?! I haven’t seen it in YEARS!”

Knockout chuckled as he walked to the kitchen, plucking two ice cold cups, and sat down on the couch, pouring some for the both of them.

“Oh, Ultra Magnus made me check on the earth fleshies here and there, just to make sure they were still breathing and the like. The little fem had it on her. Should I have brought it back to the heads of Cybertron? Maybe, but it makes for a nice piece, so I kept it.”

“Isn’t...he gonna ask for it back when he comes over?”

Knockout shrugged, handing Bumblebee a glass as he took a sip of his own.

“It’s a bridge I’ll cross when I get to it. In all honesty, I’ll be surprised if he notices, what with the babysitting he’ll have to do for Bulkhead and Wheeljack.”

“Did they confirm they were coming?”

“Yeah, but they didn’t tell me if they were going to be here on time, or on wrecker time. For now, you’re stuck with me, buzz boy.”

He chuckled, allowing them to transition into a somewhat comfortable silence, before Bumblebee broke it.

“Is Arcee coming?”

“She said she was, yes.”

“Did you two make up yet?”

“Eh, more or less. She occasionally comes into my office and I give her a free once over. Much as I enjoyed beating her back in the day, fellow beauties need to watch out for one another."

Knockout had a chuckle at that, before raising a brow. Bumblebee was looking at him with a look he couldn't quite place. It wasn't mean, wasn't angry nor annoyed.

"What's with you?"

"Nothing. I just...kinda realized just how much you belong with us."

Knockout's optics went wide, and his audial fins perked up. It always reminded Bumblebee of earth cats. 

"I...I dunno about that."

Bumblebee blinked as Knockout finished his glass, only to pour himself another one. Knockout wasn't exactly...emotionally open, and he practically had alloy hives just thinking about it. Bumblebee nodded, taking a sip of his own, being cautious. Last time they drank too much, the team snapped some rather vulnerable pictures of them. Didn't need a repeat of said event.

"Why wouldn't you agree?"

Knockout distracted himself with his second glass, lightly sighing.

"Hoo. This is a good brand you got here. Strong stuff."

"Knockout."

Knockout was about to pour a third glass, before Bee took the bottle, keeping it out of his reach. Knockout groaned.

"Primus, twist my arm why don't you? Look, it's not some revelation to say I don't belong...anywhere really."

Bumblebee's door wings drooped, and if Knockout was just a dash more tender, he'd feel them pull at his spark strings. As much of a stud as Bumblebee was, he was quite adorable when he tried to be, like a wounded spark puppy.

"Are you saying you don't like being with us?"

"What? No!"

Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was Bumblebee's fresh, adorable face. Either way, Knockout rubbed at his helm, before sighing. Stupid autobots with those stupid emotions. He sort of missed the emotional constipation of the decepticons.

"No. I like being with you all, really. Even that old medic. He's...smart. And actually NOT rude to me. He sees me as an equal medical professional. Not some pretty boy to fetch tools or what have you, and just be at his beck and call. I mean, I am pretty, but that's not the point."

Knockout kept drinking, not even focusing on Bumblebee now.

"Arcee is smart mouthed, and a natural beauty, so I feel comfortable when she's with me, even when her temperament is off the charts. She's not an absolute glitch like Airachnid, and she respects MY choice of being a grounder."

His free hand made some motion as he went on, clearly not finished.

"Ultra Magnus may have a pipe up his aft, and is on the whole, a bore, but at least he doesn't hit me when he's unsatisfied with my performance. Doesn't threaten me with throwing me out the airlock. Wheeljack is naturally a nice mech, and I can appreciate a mech that can keep up to my flirting. Smokescreen appreciates a fine sports car like myself, as well as a fine wax, not to mention racing. Him being young and cute looking is a bonus."

Knockout's face fell as he looked inside his glass, slightly shrinking on the sofa. He wasn't expecting emotions tonight, not during a light celebration such as this, but autobots just have that need to know just every little thing about you. Combine that with the emotionally vulnerable drunk Knockout was, it was a recipe for a crude therapy session. 

"And..Bulkhead reminds me of Breakdown. He's not as gorgeous or bodacious, but the wrecking and the screaming and the bravado? So much like him. And you."

Bumblebee felt his doorwings stand to attention as Knockout locked optics on him.

"You...you and Optimus both gave me something. Faith. You both...had faith in me. Trust. It's not something common in the decepticon ranks. The decepticons...were a lot of awful mechs. Not just to autobots, but in general. We all just...put up with each other for the sake of Megatron. To me, it felt the safest choice. But...it didn't work out. You and Optimus...didn't make me feel like a lacky. I felt important, vital. Since I didn't have Breakdown, I didn't have much to keep me going. Until you two walked in and just ruined everything."

Knockout chuckled, holding his face in his hand. He was having a bit of an episode, but Bumblebee couldn't help but pry further.

"So...you don't feel like you belong?"

"...No. You guys are so good. And despite how much we have in common, despite how wonderful I am...I'm nothing like you."

There was a moment of silence, before Knockout softly chuckled, self soothing himself, less he fall into a full blown panic attack. 

"But...as much as I don't belong, I appreciate being a part of something that I don't want to betray. A part of something that doesn't make me constantly watch my back."

"Like a family?"

Knockout grimaced, shaking his helm.

"Ew. No. Too much. Let's just say I don't feel like killing near you guys, and I don't feel like you'll kill me."

"Minus Ultra Magnus, that one time you smacked his aft."

"Hey, I like big and blue."

Knockout snickered. He needed that small break. One can only be so emotional for so long. He was about to say something else, before the door suddenly flew open, with Wheeljack walking in, sombrero on his head (Wheeljack always walked in with something wild, because apparently he wasn't crazy enough for events) and arms full of booze (and most likely something illegal to go along with it). He gave a woop, with Bulkhead to back him up.

"Yo! KO! You guys having fun without us?"

Knockout placed a hand over his chest, recovering from his spark attack.

"If fun equals 'not having a spark attack', then yes, MUCH fun without you."

Wheeljack and Bulkhead dumped their party gifts on the table, and Arcee followed along, chuckling.

"You two were looking buddy buddy. Bumblebee, he started groping yet?"

"Nope, not drunk enough just yet."

Bumblebee chuckled. Knockout grinned as he got up from the sofa, and joined a shot downing Wheeljack.

"Room for one more, wrecker?"

"Always! We gotta get our shots in before captain buzzkill shows up."

"Fair. Try not to break anything this time around, won't you?"

"Do YOU count, Red?~"

For some reason, maybe it was in relief, Knockout gave a bark of laughter. Unclassy, but it was honest.

It suited their little team of autobums. And he wouldn't change that for all of Cybertron.


End file.
